Big Smile [:D]Hi Im new to garden rail roading and love steam locos can any one give me their thoughts about the new pacific vs hudson 4-6-4 thank you for your advise $600.00 with sound vs. $1800.00 with sound
It’s the difference between a $600 plastic loco and a $1800 metal loco. Both are very nice. The Pacific weighs about 10 pounds and the Hudson about 45 pounds. The Hudson is incredibly detailed and is a really nice $1800 loco. The pacific is a very nice $600 loco.
I have no experience with the Hudson, but have had great success with my Pacific. It looks good, runs great, handles 5ft curves, smokes great and pulls a good load.
Pacific running at KCGRS Christmas Eve display at Union Station, KCMO. Check out the drifting smoke!

My Pacific has been converted to battery/RC with the batteries, Sierra sound, and TE in the tender.
Hope this helps a little,
JimC.
thanks for your reply. Im still deciding , me and my boys had a day with the club upland garden railroads , at los angeles county fair grounds and a member brought his 2-8-2 mikado (LGB) and I was impressed with the loco very nice. still deciding?
I always go for Aristo Craft, and always will.
My money would be on the Mikado!
Scott,
I also have an LGB Mikado. When you fire it up and it sounds off, visitors are always impressed. The Mikado is very sure footed on bad track and will handle four ft. curves. I have pulled 26 freight cars up and around a 4.5% grade with it.
JimC.
I have an aristocraft pacific which pulls the heavyweight passsenger I have (5-7), I do wonder concerning the weight of the usa hudson and switch points.
Watched a Hudson running all afternoon at a show a few years ago. They were having a little trouble with it breaking connections to the track. The owner later bashed a Pacific into a Northern. He says he likes his Northern best.
The Hudson sliders wear down and need to be replaced at times. as with all sliders.
The problem he was having was the weight of the thing was flexing the wires going to the track and breaking them from his fittings.
Marty, the USAT Hudson doesn’t have sliders. Jim.